The Brothers Ri
by writer-of-bag-end
Summary: Tales of the Brothers Dori, Nori, and Ori. No slash. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**So I had gotten a suggestion from a lovely user to write a story about Dori, Ori, and Nori. These will be various one-shots in the lives of the three brothers. The story centers around their familial relationships with each other, their troubles, and some friendships outside their homes. Updates will probably be every Monday, though may be late since my exams are coming up soon. **

**Summary: Young Dori grows up alongside his little brother, Nori. **

**Warnings: some loathing, slurs, and violence. happy ending though**.

**New Arrivals**

Dori waited nervously outside of his mother's bedroom as she went through the labor of her second child. He paced worriedly, his brow furrowed, and he wore a frown far too old for such a young face as his. He had never witnessed a dwarrowdam give birth, never heard one give birth, and it sounded painful. But his mother was strong, he told himself, his beautiful, wonderful mother, Cori. A loud scream shattered the air, his mother's strained voice, and the healer, Oin, told her to push.

Dori tugged at his mithril colored hair frantically, wanting to burst into the bedroom and help his mother, but he had been barred from the room. There was a final shout from his mother and the sound of a babe crying nearly shattered Dori's eardrums. He felt his stomach drop and, scolding or not, rushed to his mother's aid. He heard the nurse next to his mother's bed squawk in indignation and she attempted to grab him. He ducked out of the way, clutching his mother.

He was often told from others that his mother was the most beautiful dwarrowdam in all of the Blue Mountains. She had silver hair, a nice snubbed nose, and plump lips. Her eyes were a rich green, the color of emeralds, and her sideburns were always neaty braided and beaded. Now her hair was strewn and coated in sweat, her porcelain skin flushed. Her eyes fluttered under her lids and she was breathing heavily.

"Amad," cried Dori softly and she smiled tiredly.

"I am fine, my gem," she whispered quietly, her voice hoarse from screaming. "You get to meet your brother, soon, my love. I want to hold him," she said to the nurse.

"A healthy baby boy," said Oin and handed her a lump of blankets.

Dori wrinkled his nose and then his mouth dropped open once he saw the small dwarven babe in the bundle of blankets. There was a light dusting of auburn hair on his small head and he had the same pointed, slightly crooked nose as that- that dwarf. Dori felt contempt fill in his heart at the thought of the crook who had left his mother as soon as he had found out she was pregnant. He almost wanted to look away from his half-brother, the baby in front of him.

Then his mother smiled that warm, gentle smile at him and asked, "Do you want to hold him?"

Dori felt himself nod and took the babe carefully from his mother, sitting down so he wouldn't drop him. The babe instinctively reached out to tug one of Dori's braids, a common thing dwarven babes did among family. The young dwarf's stomach twisted at the baby knowing they were related. He wanted nothing to do with this child. Before, it had just been him and his amad.

Now, this child would just be another burden. Another mouth to feed when things were already tough. His mother had wanted to open up a teashop. They'd never be able to with the baby draining all the funds they had set aside for the shop.

"Nori," said Cori softly and Dori looked up, startled. "I'm going to name him Nori. What do you think of the name?"

"I like it," Dori found himself saying. He handed Nori- the baby, he reminded himself, he would not get attached when most dwarven babies didn't reach two months- back to his mother.

"You should rest, amad," he said to her.

Cori smiled. "How can I when I have the excitement of two little boys? My boys, my boys..." she trailed off and fell asleep with a dreamy smile on her face.

The baby began to cry and Dori felt angry tears heat up in his green eyes.

_My boys_.

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The moments Nori started walking and talking were nightmares for Dori. At first, it had been so easy to simply forget about the existence of his half-brother. He would go to school with the other dwarflings in his Craft, learning weaving and the types of patterns, and would return home. He would occasionally have to change a diaper, soothe some cries, but those were easy tasks.

It became harder to ignore the budding child in front of him. Nori constantly trailed after him, unknowing that his brother hated him. Dori was reminded of the man that left his mother everyday, whenever Nori talked, walked, or even looked at him. He was the spitting image of the traitor, the only difference being the eyes. He had inherited his mother's emerald eyes.

That was another reminder that Dori wouldn't escape one thing: they were related no matter what.

Dori hated it. He hated him. He hated the dwarf who broke his mother's heart. And he hated himself.

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Dori felt the boy land another punch on him, his nose splitting from under the boy's fist. He faintly heard Nori screech his name, but the world was spinning and there was a buzzing in his ear. He hadn't meant to snap at the boy, hadn't meant to shove him when he had called his mother a whore. But he did, and he was stronger than he had realized. He had knocked the dwarfling into the wall and he had returned angrier than ever.

Dori, not trained in fighting, hadn't stood a chance. The dwarfling fighting him kicked him in the ribs and Dori yelled, hearing a loud crack. Nori cried harder, struggling against the two lads holding him, but he was too small to help. The dwarfling fighting him started laughing.

"Filth!" he spat, a gob of spit landing on Dori's red coat. "Your whole family is reeking of it! Your mother and that mongrel of a brother! I heard that he was born out of wedlock. That he's a bastard. Wonder if you are too, and your mother just made up your father to cover up!"

Dori felt rage course through his veins like never before. "Don't say that! You're undeserving to even speak of my family, you vermin!"

"Oh, yeah?" cried the dwarf. "Does your brother even know that you hate him? Does he know about his mother?"

Dori yelled in blind anger and lashed out, swiping the dwarf right on his stomach. He landed on top of him, unleashing punches after punches onto his face until he was unrecognizable, covered in blood and with two black eyes. A voice told him to stop, but he couldn't. He kept hitting, and hitting, and hitting. He heard a screaming sound. Maybe it was his own, maybe it was Nori's.

Then more shouting and he looked up to see his mother running towards him.

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"Why do you hate me?"

Dori looked up from his bleeding knuckles soaking in the herb filled water. "What?" His mother had left the room for more bandages from the local apothecary, leaving Dori and Nori alone. Nori looked up at his older brother, sniffling dejectedly.

"That boy said you hated me," he replied, voice thick with unshed tears. "Do you?"

"No," Dori said and realized he had meant it. He remembered the blinding rage he had felt when they insulted his mother, insulted Nori. No one deserved to be treated like that and yet he had treated Nori that way. And he was his brother. He shouldn't have. "Nori, when you were born I was angry."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want another child in this family," said Dori raggedly. "And I ignored you for it. It wasn't even your fault what he did to amad..." He trailed off and took his brother's hand firmly, wincing a bit at his stinging knuckles. "But it's all my fault for being so cruel to you."

His voice broke and soon he realized he was sobbing uncontrollably. All the pent up anxiety and anger from his years of living spilled out as he leaned against Nori, who also started crying and was patting his shoulder soothingly. They cried out their apologies to each other, rubbing their eyes roughly. Then their mother walked in, looking terribly confused.

"Why are you all crying?!" She shouted and they both started to laugh between their sobs.

"Because we love each other!" Nori wailed and Dori started to laugh as their mother pulled them into a huge hug, muttering about strange dwarflings and hormones.


	2. Chapter 2

**So I'm gonna be really working on finishing my other story Burglar Under Hill and then work on my upcoming Tauriel fic, so updates for this might be irregular :( but summer is coming soon so fingers crossed!**

**Warnings: mentions of prostitution **

**The Teashop **

Dori's father, Diri, had loved two things most in his life: his weaving and his family. Children were precious to dwarves and Diri treated his son as such. He gave him treats, showered him in hugs and kisses, and taught him everything a father should. He was ecstatic when Dori was interested in learning how to weave. He spent painstaking hours teaching his son proper patterns, textures, and all he needed to know. And he loved his wife, to hug her after he returned after long days from the textile mill.

Diri was a gentle soul, not a fighter. He hadn't deserved to die such a violent death for one so peaceful. He had simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Dori remembered being just a toddler and seeing his mother burst into tears when the men showed up at the door. They had carried a piece of paper with them and a cart with a white, blood stained blanket. Dori was told that his father died a battle death, shot by an Orc scout crawling by the city walls.

He hadn't understood the importance of his father's death until his mother came home with bags under her eyes, her clothes ripped and her lips swollen, and walking with a limp. She always brushed off his worries. Then he had grown, earning money selling scarves and mittens beneath his talent, and had learned of his mother's occupation. He urged her to quit and eventually they found her a job at a nice local tavern, where she wouldn't be hurt everyday.

For a while they both dreamed of opening up a teashop, something Diri would have enjoyed, and they saved up their money. Then that crook had come, made Cori fall under his spell. She learned too late that he was trouble and by then she was already pregnant. As Nori grew, their savings were slowly growing smaller and smaller. Dori would sigh and put a measly coin from selling a pair of gloves into the jar and would carry on. His mother would separate their taxes, making a dense pile of coins reserved for the bill and a tiny pile of two or three copper for their teashop.

As Nori grew older to a young adult, he worked hard in his studies at home (they could no longer afford a tutor) and would spend the afternoons outside, sometimes not coming back until nightfall. Dori should've suspected something once he saw the money jar slowly, gradually filling up again. Cori hadn't suspected anything; she just praised her eldest son for his hard work, bumping her forehead gently against his. Dori would smile nervously and thank her.

The next night Dori followed Nori. The young dwarfling would slip between dwarves and dwarrowdams in the marketplace, accidentally jostling a few but apologizing quickly. He was gangly, looking older than his age, and already had impressive beard. It had taken Dori a while to grow his trim beard, which was thick and braided. Meanwhile, the silver haired dwarf was doubting himself for following his brother.

You should trust him, a voice told him, you two are close enough, you must have trust in that relationship.

Dori let out a ragged sigh and went to head for home when there was a shout. He turned around to see a furious dark haired dwarf dressed in dark blues with his hand latched onto Nori. He looked terrified, even though the dwarf was even younger than Dori. Dori sprinted towards his brother, forming a barrier between the dwarf and Nori.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Dori asked politely, though his fists were clenched.

"This dwarf tried to steal from me," he rumbled and punched the bridge of his nose, calming down. "I'd appreciate if he gave me my money back. I spent hours in the forge for that and it's only a small amount of money."

Dori gave Nori a look. The young dwarf began to protest. "But-!"

"Give it back!" Dori hissed and his brother frowned, tossing over the bag of money.

"Thank you," said the dwarf once he caught it. He juggled it a bit and narrowed his light blue eyes. "Could've sworn it was heavier. Ugh. Just get your friend home," he advised Dori with a respectful nod. Then he looked to Nori. "Be careful who you steal from, lad."

"Lad?" Nori mocked and Dori elbowed him roughly to shut him up.

"He means thank you for your kindness," said Dori and he meant it. He could've sworn this dwarf was about to hand his brother's ass to him on a platter.

"Whatever," mumbled Nori and the other dwarf's thin lips twitched upwards.

"Farewell," he said in his deep voice and continued onward, fading into the crowd.

Dori whirled upon Nori, grabbing him by the scruff of his collar and ignoring his protests. He pulled him into an alleyway by a rubbish pile, his green eyes furious and disappointed.

"Nori, he could've killed you!" He whispered roughly. "If it was anyone else you'd have an axe embedded in your skull or you'd be rotting in jail! You couldn't- Nori, you can't do that to the family. You can't do that to amad. It'd break her heart and you know it." He sighed, feeling utterly spent.

"You know what else breaks amad's heart? Being poor as shit," snapped Nori heatedly. He pushed Dori's big hand off his shoulder. "She grows tired from working at the tavern. I know it's better than- than what they say she used to do," his voice softened, then hardened, "But we need to stop living like this! It's not fair to us or amad! She wants a teashop, Dori, and that's the only thing that will make her happy."

"We make her happy," shot back Dori. "She loves us."

"I never said she didn't," replied Nori. "Dori, you know how much she loves the idea of the shop. If I have to steal from a few stuffy lords and ladies then so what? It'll be worth it."

"That wasn't a lord. That was a civilian."

"He was walking slow, he had it coming!"

Dori groaned and resisted punching the stone wall. He'd only hurt his fists. "Nori," he said gently, patiently, "you need to stop this. You're better with me and amad then rotting in some cell."

Nori slouched and sighed. "Give me one reason."

"I'm going to work two jobs," answered Dori and Nori looked horrified. "There's an opening at the tailor's for midnight hours. I'll work in the mill in the day, there at night. I can handle it, so don't argue," he warned when Nori was about to open his mouth. "Please, Nori."

Nori hesitated. "Fine."

"Do you swear?" Dori asked severely and he shrugged.

"Yeah, yeah, now let's head home," Nori said snappishly. "Amad will be back soon."

Dori shook his head disapprovingly at his brother attitude, but followed him back home.


End file.
